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Hi there! I’m Lindsey VanAlstyne, the childbirth educator behind Mother Rising. Here you’ll find everything you need to know about natural childbirth. Natural birth 101 – how to plan for a natural birth, ways to cope with labor pain, and more!

(Pssst! Come join my FREE Facebook group just for pregnant women! I can’t wait to meet you.)

Stages of Labor

To get started with a natural birth, study the basics – the stages of labor. Learn about when to go to the hospital, understanding contractions, writing a birth plan, identifying early labor, water breaking 101, and more with Mother Rising’s tips and advice for each stage of labor!

Pain Management

Once you understand how normal labor progresses, it’s helpful to pair that information with coping strategies for the pain of labor. DIY pain management in labor is extremely effective and a cornerstone to having a safe and satisfying natural birth experience. Learn the about the purpose of labor pain and how to relax during contractions.

Check out all the “How To’s” of decreasing labor pains:

Birthing Tools

Learn about birthing tools used in labor and delivery like a birthing ball, hydrotherapy/water birth, gas and air for labor, but also birth affirmations, and the B.R.A.I.N. acronym tool that helps parents obtain informed consent.

B.R.A.I.N. acronym for labor and birth. Parents can follow the 5 step acronym to get the pros and cons of a test of procedure: Benefits, Risks, Alternatives, Intuition, Nothing.

Homebirth

Discover the world of homebirth with homebirth stories, a homebirth supply list, understanding a midwife’s birth team, how to setup for a water birth, having siblings at birth, and more with Mother Rising’s tips and advice for homebirth!

Hospital Birth

Want to know more about a natural hospital birth? I got you. Plan for an empowered natural hospital birth with questions to ask on a hospital tour, and tips to pack a hospital bag. Learn about laboring at home as long as possible, coping through labor before an epidural, VBAC tips, routine newborn procedures, and more with Mother Rising’s tips and advice for hospital birth!

Birth Stories

Read birth stories and see birth photos for inspiration and motivation, written by mamas just like you! Have a birth story to share? Send it my way. :)


The Latest Posts on Natural Birth

Here you’ll find the latest evidence-based resources, articles, and inspiration for all things natural birth. Enjoy! :)